KALAMAZOO — Officials, and readers, had plenty to say after the Kalamazoo City Commission unanimously approved a resolution Monday opposing proposed state legislation that would void Kalamazoo's two-year-old, voter-approved ordinance prohibiting discrimination against gay, lesbian or transgender individuals in housing, public accommodations or employment.

Mayor Bobby Hopewell called House Bill 5039 — the bill that would overturn Kalamazoo's expanded anti-discrimination ordinance — "bad legislation" and Amy Hunter, chairwoman of the Kalamazoo Alliance for Equality, which pushed for the expanded protections, called it an "egregious overreach."

The story prompted an argument about constitutional rights online and commenters hashed out where the government should set boundaries.

I would have voted against the Kalamazoo ordinance but if I don't like the law I can always move. There is a legitimate reason for having certain laws uniform throughout a state but I'm not sure this is one. And before someone says this is hateful, whatever happened to property rights. If I own a house I shouldn't have to rent it to a couple that is involved in sin. I don't think any of the discrimination laws should apply to private property or companies. If someone doesn't want blacks, or whites, or Hispanics, or Chinese, or atheists, or Christians, or Muslims, or homosexuals, etc. working for them, or renting a house from them, it may be despicable but it is their own private property and they have the right to use, or abuse, their property the way they see fit. Government discrimination is different. Government discrimination should be outlawed, whether it is meant to rectify previous wrongs or not. Private individuals can discriminate all they want, government never should.

But GMT1975 says that idea is flawed:

We need them because someone, at sometime, has done these deliberate discriminatory practices. So why shouldn't a person, or corporation not have to obey the laws of the land? Why should a private entity be allowed to act outside the intent of the constitution, if it is doing business in this country? So by your logic, if you own a home, and you wish to store gasoline in it, for future use for example, you believe you should have the right to do so? How many gallons should you be allowed to have? 10, 100, 1000 gallons? And you store it unsafely, which threatens the safety of neighbors, or innocent passersby, it is still your right? And it is your right not to carry insurance on that domicile? If you are merely opposing these regulations on the grounds of personal freedoms, tis one thing. But masking bigotry and racism under the guise of "personal freedoms" is outlawed, for good reason

For all of you crying about the government telling you what you can and can't do with your property, I don't understand why this particular issue is of any particular relevance. There are a litany of local, state, and even federal rules and regulations regarding what you can and cannot do with your personal property. From fair housing laws to building codes, there are thousands of restrictions on what you can and cannot do. This is nothing new. This is nothing radical. It's old hat. So there is one ordinance in Kalamazoo that you don't like. Too bad, so sad. There are other people who don't like other City ordinances. Too bad, so sad. Deal with it. These things were passed through legitimate democratic process. I'm sorry if you don't like how democracy works sometimes.

There is no reason for the State to overturn local ordinances without cause. The State has no interest or benefit in this ordinance. It is nothing more than state legislators saying "screw you local voters, we know better and we don't care what you think or how you voted". Unlike the State's EFM law that said the same thing, this bill is without cause. They have to justify and have reason on an individual basis to place an EFM. This bill just automatically overturns local ordinances and votes with no cause, reason, or justification.

Everything being done in Lansing is about a small group of lawmakers thinking they are better, smarter than everyone else. This isn't about State Rights, or Federal Rights it's about every citizen in Michigan's rights! These politicians think that your rights mean nothing! They will do anything, and pass any law to take more and more of your rights away. Didn't we in one way or another elect, or vote on local issues? Didn't we vote on local office holders? I guess unless you are rich, or a business owner getting Snyder welfare you no longer matter.